


How They Got There

by Merfilly



Series: Dirty Politics [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Police, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 15:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Provides some of the background for "The Cop and the Kid"





	How They Got There

Father Kenobi coughed and fought to see if he had gotten to all of the orphans. Was Ahsoka still in there? She was almost always near the choir room… he had to go back in, had to see —

The ceiling crashed in over the small sanctuary, and he couldn't even hear his own agonized scream over the roar of flames and crackle of splintering, too-dry wood.

"You should have listened. You should have taken his offer," came the words of his one-time student, the boy he'd tried so hard to get to follow in his footsteps.

Now, the young man left him to his fate, a pawn in the manipulations of a corrupt politician, removing one of the bastions for the people.

* * *

"Ahh, Anakin, my dear boy," the City Manager greeted, his face limned by a smile that never reached his eyes. "I've finalized the contract for you as the Commissioner." 

"I'm still not —"

"Now, my son, don't let that false humility of that manipulating priest cripple you now. You need this, to provide and protect your bride and those new children. After all, it takes power to survive in this town, Anakin, and to protect what is yours." Palpatine gave another smile, and Anakin's guts twisted with knowing how right the man was. Kenobi would have kept calling for an investigation, kept pushing, making the streets unsafe.

"Thank you, sir," he answered, inclining his head all the way.

He'd make Ahsoka understand, somehow, when she reappeared. There was no way she would have been at the church, couldn't have been.

* * *

Padmé wiped away tears quickly, faking a smile in case Anakin noticed she'd been crying. He'd grown so cold and hard toward everything out of their home; he was so unlike the young man she had fallen in love with. That on top of recent events in the city had made life terrible.

All of her work to help the poor, the needy, and now—

The orphanage, its church, the soup kitchen… all of it was gone. And, to make matters worse, she suspected it had something to do with Anakin's promotion. Ever since her uncle had risen to power things had been darkening. She had the twins to think of, though, and that meant being careful with Anakin, until she understood everything.

This would not be the end, she swore. She just would have to find someone else to be her ears and eyes, much as Father Kenobi had been, while she secured her twins' safety. Maybe one of the older kids could help her find the resistance to these changes. Maybe Ahsoka was out there still.

* * *

Surviving meant being smart. Ahsoka Tano had known that before Father Kenobi had brought her in off the streets. She could go back to it. The lot where the Orphanage had been was empty of all but the black remnants of the fire, a reminder not to go against those in power.

Her eyes glinted, even as she rubbed at the freshly healed scars from where she'd been burned that night, trying to find the Father. Palpatine, or Pulpy-Face as she preferred to call him, was going to find out that not everyone was afraid to fight back. She'd just be careful about it at first.

* * *

Ahsoka finished telling what she knew of the Orphanage burning down that night, while Rex cooked for them. He could barely believe half of it, and yet when he'd been tending her injuries, he'd seen the scars she kept hidden under her oversized hoodies, the ones that could only be burn scars.

"Why would Skywalker turn on Father Kenobi? He grew up in that place, just like you," Rex asked, setting two plates on the table.

"I don't know. I mean, I know he'd gotten in deep with Pulpy-Face's niece, but the Father knew Anakin wasn't ever going to take vows. He'd managed to go to the cop school, after all. My bets are on Pulpy-Face having dirt on Anakin… or twisting things up in his head. You know Anakin only ever wanted to be good enough in anyone's eyes," she said softly. "Whatever it is, if he could do that, he's gotta go down, just like Pulpy-Face."

Rex listened to her, felt that fire burning in her. So many times, he'd glimpsed her rebellious streak, managed to keep her out of juvie by talking to her, but never understood what pushed her.

He knew she had history, a deep one, with Skywalker. He'd also known Kenobi was loved by all the orphans he tended to. To be the sole witness to those two turned to different sides, in a conflagration —

"Did Kenobi escape?" Rex suddenly asked, uncertain, as he struggled to remember details.

"Didn't find nothing when I snuck in after the pigs — not you, but the ones in Pulpy-Face's employ — left," she admitted. "But then, they were there to clean up. And someone knows I saw something. This time? Wasn't the first time I've had a run in with thugs I didn't know for no damned reason! They're trying to shut me up!" She looked at him plaintively. "Rexter, if you're in his pocket, if he manages to buy you? I'm dead."

"Not on my watch, kid. I swear." He pointed at her plate. "Eat up. You need it."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] How They Got There](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15516354) by [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly), [reena_jenkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reena_jenkins/pseuds/reena_jenkins)




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